Road joint



May '18 1948.

R. R. ROBERTSON ROAD JOINT Filed June 8, '1945 2 Sheets-Sheet l I w/kw W 57%517252" V Roberl [3.Boberlsonvf% Fi May 18, 1948. R. R. ROBE-.RTSON ROAD JOINT Filed June 8, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [Hz E2722?!" 1330567 2 Z8. BOber-Z'Jon I Ill?"""lfi I m I H Patented May 18, 1948 ROAD JOINT Robert filt'obert'soii, Chicago, Ill.

Application June 8, 1945, Serial No. 598,301

2 Claims. (Cl; 94-3) 1 Thisinvention relates to transverseroad joints, and more particularly to load distributing ex pansion and contraction joints including'long or continuous baselplates formed with anxintegrai longitudinally disposed double looped channel section or :holder provided at space-d intervals with openings iorthe reception of sets or pairs of alternately reversed load transmission shoes, the base flanges of. which projectin'ot only through the openings in the'looped 'hol 'clrer but also through openingsin the Iowermargin: of a road joint plate or filler toipermi-t the projecting base flanges of theload transmission shoes to project into guide pockets formed in. staggered pairs on oppositesides of the looped holder on the base plate of the road: jointforming'unit;

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved type of concrete road j'oint' fiormin g mechanism which is designed and constructed with improvements for increasing the adaptability and efilciency thereof. H

Another object 01 theinvention is to provide an improved type of either expansion or contraction joint forming mechanism including. an improved base unit formed with loadi'transrnist sion shoe receiving guide pockets on. opposite sides of a spring-like clamp-ing channel apertured for the reception of the load; transmission shoes and furthermore adapted to receive and hold a joint dividing plate" or' filler board in upright position with cut-out portions'of. the lower margin thereof seating over the 'baseflanges of the load transmission shoes;

It is also an object of this invention td provide an improved road. joint forming mechanism adapted to be embedded transversely in a road or similar concrete construction: to separate concrete slabs and permit loads: tob'e' transmitted from one slab to another by means of improved Z-bar load transmission: units arranged: re versed sets or pairs to project through openings in a clamping channel ttorinin'g part of a. base unit and serving as a support for a-joint dividing member beneath or through. which the load transmitting units are engaged to" permit said units to project from one road slab into-another:

It is a further object of this invention taprovide' an improved type of road joint forming mechanism including an improved base plate having guide pockets expanded therefrom in reversed staggered relationship on opposite sides of a spring-like dividing. plate holder integrally formed from the base plate and provided with a guide openings adjacent the guide pockets for thereception of load distributing units forming part of the road joint forming mechanism.

Itis furthermore an object of this invention to provide an improved type of road joint forming mechanism including a base plate having the middle portion thereof formed to provide longitudinally disposed spaced looped flanged to form a spring-like holder for clamping a road joint dividing member in position for the forming of either accntraction or an expansion joint torming mechanism;

Another object of the invention is the pro vision of an improved type of roadjoint forming mechanism including load distributing units of Zebti construction having one of the'flanges thereof formed-to provide a pair of arms having enlarged outer ends, said arms being twisted intermediate their endsto form anchoring members for embedding in a concrete road slab for 20 transmitting loads [from said slab through an angle portion of the load transmission unit to an adjacent concrete roadsiab.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an improved type of roadjoint forming mechanism wherein a base plate has longitudinally formedcentrally thereon adouble- Iooped channel shaped holder having spaced openings therein and adapted to receive the notched lower margin of a joint dividing mernbox: with the notchesin said member registering with the openings in the holder to permit load transmitting units to project in opposite directions through the dividing member and holder and contact spacers projecting from opposite sides of the dividing member to assist the holder in securing the dividing member in position for embedding between concrete road slabsa Still another object of the inventionis the provision of a road joint forming mechanism for ciorming either contraction or expansion joints, said mechanism including -abase plate formed with a springelike holder for receiving joint dividing members of different thicknesses and having spacing means projecting from opposite sides thereof to contact load transmission units supported on the base plate and projecting through registering openings in the dividing member and in the channel holder, said dividing member and load transmission-units being connected by tieingmeans for holding the-road joint forming mechanisms iii aSSI'nbled' relationship for embedding; between concrete road slabs;

It is furthermore an object of this invention to; provide an improved'iormof road-joint form- '66 ing mechanism for the construction of either structure or the like.

Other and. further important objects of this' invention will be apparent from the disclosures" in the specification and accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view 'of an improved contraction joint forming mechanism embodying the principles of this invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on line 11-11 of Figure 1, showing the road joint forming mechanisms supported on a road subgrade and embedded in concrete road slabs illustrated in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view taken on line III-I11 of Figure 2 to illustrate details of the dividing plate and one of the notches or openings in the lower margin thereof to permit the load transmission base flange members to project through the dividing plate;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary isometric view of the base unit of the road joint forming mechanism, illustrating one set of stops and a set of the reversed guide pockets for the load transmission units, and furthermore illustrating the longitudinally disposed spring type clamping channel and one of the openings therethrough for permitting the load transmission units to project therethrough from opposite directions and into the guide pockets;

Figure 5 is an isometric view of one of the load transmission shoes illustrating a cut-away portion of the top flange of the shoe to form the anchoring arms which are spirally twisted intermediate their ends and illustrating the enlarged end portions at the outer ends of the anchoring arms;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the middle looped holder portion of a base plate and supporting a modified form of dividing member in the form of a premolded filler; and

Figure 7 illustrates a fragmentary modified form of a dividing member in the form of a thicker filler board for use in the formation of an expansion joint, said filler board having the lower margin thereof clamped within the intermediate channel or pocket formed by two looped flanges formed from the base plate.

As shown on the drawings:

This invention is directed to a road joint forming mechanism and more particularly to a mechanism for the forming of either a contraction or an expansion joint which is determinable by the thickness of the dividing member used. The invention also involves the use of a novelly constructed base unit for clamping and holding the dividing member to permit Z-bar load transmission shoes to project from opposite sides of the dividing member through registering, openings therein and in the holder and into guide pockets integrally formed on thebase plate, from which stop lugs are also struck for bending into posi tion behind the load transmission units after the 4 same have been placed in final positions on the base plate.

Figures 1 .to 3, inclusive, illustrate a contraction joint forming mechanism for road construction 5 work or the like. Figure 2 illustrates the joint forming mechanism as being supported on a road subgrade and embedded between concrete road slabs I and 2 illustrated in dotted lines. The road joint forming mechanisms are adapted to be as- 10 sembled and be positioned as an assembled unit transversely on the road subgrade to extend from the center of the road outwardly to the edge of the road for the formation of either a contrac- "tion'or an expansion joint, depending upon the thickness and kind of dividing member used. After the road joint forming units are placed in 1 position at spaced distances on the subgrade, the

concrete is poured to embed the joint-forming units.

Figures 1 to 5, inclusive, illustrate contraction joint-forming mechanisms for road construction work or other concrete construction work in which contraction joints are required. Each contraction j oint-forming unit comprises a base unit consisting of a sheet metal base plate 3, the length of which corresponds to the length of the joint, which in the ordinary form of a contraction road joint extends from the center of the road transversely across the subgrade to the side or shoulder of the road.

The base plate 3 has expanded or struck therefrom a plurality of groups of guidesfor the load transmitting means hereinafter more fully described. The-metal base plate 3 is first provided 5 with a plurality of sets of parallel offset or staggered cuts or slits along the lines 4 and 5 Figure 4) on opposite sides of the'longitudinal central portion of the base plate 3. Also cut from the base plate 3 are sets of staggered U-shaped cuts 6 to form stop lugs or tongues 'l which are positioned diagonally with respect to one another on opposite sides of the longitudinal central portion of the base plate '3 and opposite the respective slits 4 and 5. The longitudinal central portion of the base plate 3 is also stamped out or cut to provide spaced groups of parallel openings between theslits 4 and 5 and the tongue cuts 6. Each group of the longitudinally disposed openings consists of a central rectangular opening and two spaced rectangular side openings, said side openings being approximately half the width of the central opening,

After the base plate 3 has been provided with the groups of central longitudinally arranged openings and with the slits 4 and 5 and the stop tongue cuts 6, as described, the plate is subjected .to expanding and forming treatments whereby the metal adjacent the respective slits 4 and 5 is expanded upwardly from the base plate to form integral guide pockets 8 which, as illustrated in Figure 4, are arranged in reversed staggered pairs on opposite sidesof the groups of central openings in the base plate. The longitudinal central portion of the base plate is then 55 subjected to deforming treatments to form a springlike clamping holder consisting of; an intermediate receiving pocket or channel 9 formed by looped or folded portions of the plate which form looped or double thickness upwardly projecting flanges l0. When the base plate 3 has the central portion thereof bent or formed to provide the upwardly projecting loopedflanges H) to form the intermediate pocket or channel 9 the groups of openings formed longitudinally in the central portion of the base plate provide transverse openings l I in the spring-like clamping holder formed by the loo ed portions of the base plate.

By referring to Figure l it will be noted that the openings I I are positioned to register with the openings in the guide pockets 8 with the stop tongues 1 in each group positioned diagonally opposite one another on opposite sides of the spring like "clamping holder. ,A'base unit is thus provided to include a central longitudinallydis posed spring-like clamping holder formed by the loop portions 9 and iii of the plate 3 with said looped holder having the spaced openings H provided therethrou'gh: The holder is for the purpose of receiving a joint dividing member which, in the case of a contraction joint, consists of a dividing plate l2 which may be constructed of 22 gauge hot rolled annealed steel. The dividing plate l2 has the lower margin thereof out out to provide a plurality of spaced openings l3 spaced to register with the holder openings H when the dividing' plate has the lower margin thereof inserted in position in the holder between the spring-like clamping flanges it, as illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

The dividing plate l2, above each of the openlugs 13 therein, is provided with a Wire receiving opening 14 and with a plurality of aligned stops or spacers l5 and I6 which are 'struck'or expanded from the dividing plate l2. As clearly illustrated in Figure 1 the stops or spacers [5 project outwardly from one side of the dividing platel? while the stops or spacers l8 project outwardly from the opposite side of the dividing plate, so that the stops or spacers I5 and lfiare arranged in staggered groups above the respective openings 13 of the dividing plate. It will thus be noted that the dividing plate is adapted to be clamped in position upon the base plate between the looped flanges l0 and seated in the intermediate pocket or channel 9 in position to receive the groups of load transmitting units which form a part of the road joint forming mechanism.

Associated with each pair of the guide pockets 8 of the base plate is a pair of load transmission anchor units which are reversed and staggered with respect to one another and have the base portions thereof positioned to pass through the openings H of the clamping holder and through the opening l3 provided in the lower margin of the dividing plate l2. The load transmitting units are seated on the base plate 3 and normally engage over the stop tongues 1 until thebase portions of the reversed load transmission members engage through the registering openings H and I3 and project into theguide pockets 8 as illustrated in Figure 2. The tongues 7 are next bent upwardly behind the load transmission units to act as stops therefor.

Each of the load transmission units or shoes is preferably constructed from a hot rolled steel Z-bar consisting of a base flange or foot IT, an upright integral body plate or flange l8 and an integral top flange H3. The top flange IQ of each of the load transmission shoes is preferably inclined, and has the middle portion thereof stamped or cut out to provide an opening 29 which opens outwardly through the outer or upper edge of the top flange Hi and is so shaped as to form a pair of anchoring arms 2! the outer ends of which are slightly enlarged to provide anchoring heads 22. Each of the anchoring arms 21 is spirally twisted intermediate the ends thereof to form a. spiral twist section 23 causing the outer ends of the anchoring arms 2| to diverge with respect to one another with the heads 22 posi- 'tioned substantially at right sages with respect to tne'inner ends of the arms 2| and with respect to the top flange 19 of the anchoring shoe.

Each pair of load transmission anchoring shoes are reversed with respect to one another and have the bases or flanges l7 thereof projecting in opposite directions through the openings II of the dividing plate holder of the base plate '3 and into the respective guide pockets or hoods 8 until the upright body plates It are brought into contact with the respective stops or spaces I5 and i5 and into engagement with the outer surfaces of the looped flanges W of the dividing plate holder, as shown in Figure 2. When'th'e anchorihg shoes are in their innermost positionsas described, the stop tongues l in the base plate are cleared, thereby permitting said tonguest'o be deflected upwardly against the backs of the lower portions of the load transmission shoe plates 18 to hold the anchoring shoes in proper spaced position on the base plate and against the spacers on opposite sides of the dividing plate, thereby assisting in holding the dividing plate in position.

To further hold the load transmission shoes in assembled relationship with respect to the dividing plate 52 each pair of load transmission anchoring shoes are tied together by means of a tie wire 24 which is looped around the inner end of one of the anchoring arms of one of. the shoes and then projects through the respective opening E4 in the dividing plate :2 to permit the wire to be looped around a diagonally opposite arm of an adjacent load transmission shoe. The ends of the wire are then tightly twisted or knotted together to tie the two load transmission shoes to one another through the dividing plate, as clearly illustrated in Figures .1 and 2.

Figure 6 illustrates a modified form of joint dividing member adapted to be engaged in a base plate holder of a base unit such as illustrated in Figure 4. The modified form of dividing member comprises a sheet metal stiffener plate 25 the lower margin of which is provided with spaced openings such as the openings 13 in the dividing plate I2. The lower margin of the stiffener plate 25 is exposed to permit the stiliener plate to be inserted into the intermediate receiving channel 9 of the base plate holder, while the upper major portion of the stiffener plate 25 may be enclosed by a treated paper covering to form a dividing member for a contraction joint. For the formation of an expansion joint the upper portion of the stifiener plate 25 isembedded in a compressible plastic coating 26 which extends over the top edge of the stifiener plate.

. The lower edges of the opposite sides of the plastic coating 25 are adapted to rest on the upper edges of the holder flanges Ill, which are left open to provide spaces therein to permit compression or closing of the looped flanges when the pre-molded dividing member is used to produce an expansion joint. The plate 25 with its coating or covering 26 forms a pro-molded filler for use with sets of load transmission anchor shoe units of the type illustrated in Figure 5. The load transmission anchor shoes are adapted to be projected through the openings in the base plate holder and in the lower margin of the stiffener plate 25, with the base plates of the shoes projecting into guide pockets 8 on the base plate 3. With the pre-molded filler illustrated in Figure 6, the coating material covering the upper portion of the stiflener plate 25 is adapted to be contacted by the plates I8 of the load trans- :missionshoes, 'thereby'permltting the shoes to assist in holding the pre-molded filler in position. If desired, or when it is found necessary, the pre-molded filler may be provided with openings to permit the wires 24 to be used in a manner similar to the arrangement illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawings.

Figure 7 illustrates another modified form of road joint forming mechanism which is adaptable for forming road expansion joints. In this modified form the base plate unit is constructed similarly to the base plate unit illustrated in Figure 4 with the exception that the intermediate portion of the spring clamping holder is provided with a wider intermediate pocket 21 between the looped spaced flanges H! of the base plate 3, which llooped flanges are provided with openings II as shown in Figure 4. Engaged in the wide receiving channel 21 of the base unit is the lower margin of a dividing member which in this case consists of a filler board 28 constructed of a compressible plastic material. The lower margin of the compressible filler board 28 is provided with openings adapted to register with the openings H in the holder flanges I to permit the use of the sets of load transmission units similar to the arrangement shown in Figure 1. If desired, spacers 29 may be provided on opposite sides of the filler board 28 to permit the intermediate plates [8 of the load transmission shoes to contact the same similar to the arrangement shown in Figure 2.

In the forms of contraction and expansion road joint forming mechanisms herein described the various elements comprising a road joint-forming unit may be assembled as a unit and shipped to location so that the joint-forming unit may be placed transversely upon a road subgrade between the longitudinal center joint mechanism of the road and the road side forms to permit the concrete to be poured to embed the joint-forming unit between road slabs, such as the slabs l and 3 shown in dotted lines in Figure 2.

In order to prevent rusting and bonding of the concrete to the load transmission Z-bar units below line 30 it is desirable to coat all surfaces of said units below the line 30 shown in Figure with a rust-preventive and non-bonding paint.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range without departing from the principles of this invention, and it is, therefore, not the purpose to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claimasmy'inventlon: a

1. In a road joint former and load distributor including a base unit comprising a base plate, a plurality of sets of guide pockets integrally formed in spaced relationship on the base plate for slidably receiving a plurality of load transmission units engaged in reversed staggered relationship therein, and a spring type clamping holder integrally formed on the base plate and consisting of portions of the base plate folded upon itself for receiving and holding a joint dividing member supported on the base plate, said holder having openings through the folded portions for permitting the load transmission units to project therethrough to engage in said guide pockets.

2. A road joint former and load distributor comprising a base plate, a pair of looped flanges formed longitudinally on the base plate and forming a receiving channel therebetween, said flanges having openings therein, a plurality of guide pockets expanded from the base plate and arranged in reverse relationship with respect to one another on opposite sides of said flanges and opposite the openings therein, a plurality of load transmission shoes supported on the base plate and arranged in reversed staggered relationship with respect to one another to project through the flange openings and into said pockets, spiral anchor arms integrally formed on said shoes, anchoring heads formed on the ends of said arms, a joint dividing member engaged in the channel formed between said base plate flanges and having openings therein to register with the flange openings to permit said dividing member to engage over portions of the load transmission shoes, spacers projecting from opposite sides of the dividing member and contacted by said shoes, and tie means projecting through the dividing member for tieing the reversed shoes together in pairs.

ROBERT R. ROBERTSON.

REFERENCES CITED I The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Robertson Oct. 9, 1945 

